Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany pledged to maintain his campaign for the governor’s office after surviving a harrowing small plane crash and swimming to safety in Lake Wausau over the weekend. Speaking to reporters on Sunday following the incident, Tiffany expressed deep gratitude for his survival and affirmed that the life-threatening scare would not halt his political aspirations.
The emergency unfolded on Saturday evening, September 12, as a small aircraft carrying Tiffany and pilot Leonard Boltz was making its final descent toward the Wausau Downtown Airport. According to Tiffany, the flight had been entirely smooth until the plane suddenly suffered a complete loss of power in the moments leading up to their scheduled arrival.
With the engine dead and altitude dropping rapidly, Boltz alerted Tiffany that the aircraft was going down and instructed him to pull his seatbelt as tight as possible. Tiffany estimated that merely ten seconds elapsed between the pilot’s warning and the plane striking the surface of Lake Wausau.
Following the impact on the water, both men managed to evacuate the cockpit and climb on top of the aircraft's exterior as it began to steadily submerge into the lake. The sudden landing left Tiffany without his mobile phone, which was lost in the water during the crash, but Boltz still had possession of his device and immediately contacted emergency services.
Marathon County dispatchers logged the initial emergency call at approximately 8:49 p.m., alerting local first responders to a plane crash in Lake Wausau. As the aircraft continued its descent beneath the surface, Tiffany and Boltz recognized that remaining on the sinking fuselage was no longer viable and collectively decided to attempt swimming toward the shoreline.
The two men swam roughly 150 feet across the lake before Tiffany reached an elevated section of the lakebed, finding water shallow enough to stand on while awaiting the arrival of emergency personnel. Tiffany sustained a laceration on his eyebrow during the incident that subsequently required medical stitches, but both occupants survived without life-threatening injuries.
First responders dispatched from the local area utilized an airboat to navigate the water, locate the stranded men, and transport them safely back to dry land. Photographs taken at the scene on Sunday morning showed the tail section of the downed aircraft remaining visible above the water line in Lake Wausau.
On Sunday, September 13, Tiffany recounted the traumatic experience during an emotional press conference held at the Wausau municipal facilities. Entering the room while holding hands with his wife, Chris, the candidate appeared visibly moved and at times fought back tears as he detailed the preceding night’s events.
The press briefing took place inside the vehicle bay of the local department, with the very airboat used in the lake rescue positioned directly behind Tiffany and the first responders. Standing alongside the candidate were nine firefighters and paramedics who had taken part in the response effort.
During his remarks, Tiffany offered high praise for Boltz’s technical skill and composure in the cockpit, crediting the pilot’s quick decision-making under severe pressure for preventing a far worse outcome. Tiffany noted that the sheer gravity and psychological impact of the close call were only beginning to fully settle in during the daylight hours following the crash.
Tiffany also described how he and Boltz attempted to manage the intense stress of the crisis in real time by exchanging jokes and keeping their conversation light while waiting for rescue, even as both men recognized the extreme danger of their predicament.
The live reality of emergency response work was on display during the media availability itself, which was repeatedly interrupted by broadcast medical dispatches and announcements over the building's public address system. Tiffany paused his address each time a dispatch sounded over the loudspeakers.
At one point in the conference, two of the on-duty firefighters standing behind Tiffany were forced to step away from the podium to answer an active emergency call. Tiffany acknowledged their sudden departure, remarking on their dedication to public service and presenting the department with a fruit basket as a gesture of appreciation for their swift response.
Reflecting on the broader context of his campaign, Tiffany pointed out that he had launched his bid for Wisconsin governor in Wausau approximately one year earlier in September 2025. He reaffirmed his commitment to the race, asserting that the crash would not deter his campaign and declaring his resolve to finish the job he had signed up to pursue.
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